my perspective:

i was born on the equator [singapore] and consider myself to be a third culture human being, belonging in several cultures outside of my own, and always in the 'others' category, i believe this has shaped much of how i perceive, especially from behind the lens and the topics and issues that interest me artistically and personally. i have lived predominantly in south east asia + hawai'i, and have travelled extensively, yet feel there is much i have yet to learn and experience.

i am also a mother of two girls and feel most at home in nature , eating, on the beach, or traveling, preferably doing all of those at the same time!

i began with an old film camera, emptying the contents into the dark room from travels around south east asia, and from then on i diverted my interests to films, specifically documentary filmmaking and finding the power of images to bring light to all sorts of things, political and cultural. i applied to film school.

i attended the school of visual arts in new york city - a highly ranked photography, visual and graphic arts college, i focused my b.f.a on majoring in film+video - film sound editing with a minor in cinematography. i have worked on several television advertising projects internationally, independent films in the united states as well as an award winning documentary (New York Independent Film & Video Festival) based out of bali, indonesia.

after an intense documentary project in the summer between semesters, i decided to leap off the arts to focus on political studies in asia. and i continued my education in hawai'i, where i received a B.A in Asian studies and have a Master's in Social Work from the University of Washington, focusing on social justice, mental health, maternal and child health issues and community organizing. since then, i have been pretty active in many public health issues, including child and maternal health - birth advocacy, trauma informed practice and outdoor education, i currently work as a hospice social worker.

in addition, i am a postpartum doula, a certified lacatation educator - AND also a yoga instructor & educator, training clinicians and teachers in trauma informed yoga curriculum in classrooms and facilities.

visual imagery is so powerful that i've used them in my social work graduate studies through photo-voice essays to capture what might otherwise be invisible and unable to convey through words and engages us in dialogue. photo journalism - these are my passion projects where my interests, artistic integrity and social work experience merge into that trifecta.

a good photograph is in the eye of the beholder. i value spontaneity and capturing fleeting realities, i find myself loving what is observed in nature and using the frame to manipulate and craft. i want to be able to feel the emotions, the sensorial, and sometimes the rawness. i want to also manipulate on the ordinary and highlight those moments you'd close your eyes and remember with all your senses. i break conventional boundaries, big bright blown out lights, dark shadows and blur. i prefer the edge , soft pockets, raw and gritty content that make for delicious images and i see my inspiration in artists who play with these boundaries no matter what piece of equipment they use.

i want to be the essential photographer, that is 'one who see what others could not have seen'. therefore, i find myself to be in the blend of documentation and environmental fine art portraiture, and i flow between the two. i value the connections i make with the subjects i photograph and i spend most of my time getting to know people, rather than clicking away and telling people how to interact.